When Utah tips off against Butler in the opening game of the College Basketball Crown Monday, it will have been 20 days between games for the Runnin’ Utes.
By the time the game starts, 64 teams will have been eliminated from the NCAA Tournament field, with only the Final 4 remaining.
It’s a unique situation, with the new Crown tournament taking place in a one-week, neutral-site locale at the same time much of the college basketball world focuses on the Final Four and the open transfer portal.
“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity. It’s new, something new for everybody,” Utah sophomore forward Jake Wahlin said, “but to have another opportunity to play with these guys, this is such a fun team on and off the court, so it means a lot to a lot of us to have this last chance to compete with each other and go out with a bang.”
The Utes — even with a coaching change that has shaken up the past month — are looking forward to the opportunity, and there is some NIL incentive in the 16-team event that will be played at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for the first two rounds before the semifinals and championship are hosted at T-Mobile Arena.
There is a $500,000 NIL package that will be split among the final four teams playing in the Crown. The winner earns the lion’s share with a $300,000 NIL package, the runner-up earns $100,000 and the other two semifinalists will each get $50,000.
“I know it’s the first year of the Crown (and) I haven’t went through the whole process of experiencing it, but so far, it’s been first class, the way they’ve operated, the way they’ve communicated,” Utah interim head coach Josh Eilert said.
“I love the competition in the field, and in a lot of ways, I think there’s a lot more excitement to play in the Crown than there is tournaments like the NIT, especially with the reward on the back end of it, if you can get hot and win some games. There’s a lot of excitement around it, and I think that you can see that with our players.”
Even with the Utes going through a coaching change — Craig Smith was fired Feb. 24, Alex Jensen has been named as his replacement and Eilert is serving as head coach through the end of the season — the players have bonded together to finish the season the right way.
“It’s a good group of good people. It’s not really, not many egos. There’s not really things or people that kind of separate the team,” Utah sophomore forward Keanu Dawes said.
“I just think it’s a good group, and, you know, it’s a good opportunity to be able to continue to grow my relationship with these guys.”
